Last month, UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies sent an announcement to students enrolled in its brewing certificate program that it was being discontinued. Launched in 2013 by Program Manager Teresa Grosch, the strength of the first-of-its-kind professional development initiative was the roster of industry experts recruited to instruct students on a wide array of topics ranging from fermentation sciences and brewery operations to electives pertaining to finance, marketing and distribution topics. The program’s early success helped inspire other local colleges to develop certificate programs of their own. Despite its quality, challenges presented during the pandemic era combined with a number of other factors, resulting in low enrollment and diminished revenue. Courses required to earn the professional certificate will continue for another year, but no new student applications will be accepted. The decision to end the program was particularly disappointing to Kyle Wiskerchen, who graduated from its first-ever cohort and took over the Program Manager role from Grosch in 2019. We caught up with Wiskerchen to get more information about this unfortunate turn of events and look back on some of the highs over the life of the program.
What are some of the challenges the program has faced in recent years?
We were experiencing lower demand for courses prior to the pandemic and made the decision to offer required courses less frequently. During the pandemic, we transitioned as many courses as we could to a remote format, which includes live Zoom sessions and our online learning management system, Canvas. Our program was always intended to be taught in-person and some courses were a challenge to conduct in a remote format. Our instructors worked diligently to provide a comparable experience via remote technologies, including shipping sensory supplies and providing video demonstrations. However, some hands-on training activities are best conducted in a classroom or production environment. We worked with individual students to offer substitution courses, including classes at other accredited institutions as necessary.
How did COVID-19 specifically impact the program?
One of the greatest challenges was trying to run remote courses for the length of the University’s COVID-19 policy implementation. Most students were eager to return to the classroom setting once the restrictions were lifted, but the overall decrease in demand contributed to our decision to discontinue the full certificate model.
What are some memorable moments from the past decade?
Our five-year anniversary graduation and alumni event held at Mission Brewery was a memorable high point for the graduates, alumni, instructors, internship coordinators and advisors. This milestone embodied the collaborative and supportive spirit of the brewing industry, specifically of San Diego and Southern California. We also were fortunate to brew a special-release beer in collaboration with brewing alumni and Extended Studies faculty. Over 540 students were part of the certificate, and half of those students completed the extensive program. The reach of graduates stretches locally as well as internationally, and we couldn’t be prouder of the individual and collective success stories.
Who would you like to thank as the program winds to its eventual end?
In addition to our many instructors and industry advisors (see the list below), I’d like to highlight the contributions of the individuals and partners of our two annual scholarship programs: Karl Strauss Brewers Education Fund and the Ballast Point Brewing for Diversity Scholarship. Both scholarships aimed to increase access to education and training for future industry leaders; the latter of which focused on pushing initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion in our local community and workforce. We were fortunate to be able to integrate the collective knowledge and leadership of the university, community and industry professionals in guiding these important initiatives.
What are your thoughts on the brewing programs being offered by other local colleges?
Each program has a lot to offer as well as different aspects in terms of content, length and cost. Mike Stevenson, a graduate of the UC San Diego Extended Studies brewing certificate, and the team at MiraCosta College are running a stellar program–the only state-recognized brewing program by the Master Brewers Association of America–that allows students to complete 210 hours of training in a relatively short period of time, which is very attractive for career-changers and those seeking employment in the industry. The Extended Studies program was designed as a part-time program–one class per week in the evenings–similar to many of our courses and certificate programs. We highly considered shortening the certificate course requirements while still ensuring students receive the necessary education and training to be competitive in the job market.
What would you like to say to program graduates and current enrollees?
I’d like to thank all of the students, past and present, who shared their passion for fermentation science and the fermentation industry as a whole. The wide range of backgrounds and expertise made the program a success for nearly a decade. I especially want to thank the instructors, advisors and students who adapted during the pandemic despite the challenges; their patience and persistence did not go unnoticed. We look forward to working with current students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Knowing Extended Studies’ mission of meeting the evolving needs of students, businesses and the larger community, I’m optimistic the division will identify other ways to support the brewing and fermentation industry in the near future.
BREWING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS & ADVISORS
- Arlan Arnsten (Stone Brewing)—Instructor & Advisor, Marketing & Distribution for Breweries
- Tomme Arthur (The Lost Abbey)—Instructor, Barrel Aging
- Billy Beltz (Lost Cause Meadery)—Instructor, Introduction to Mead Making
- Rick Blankemeier (Stone Brewing, Modern Times Beer, Belching Beaver Brewery)—Instructor, Wort Production & Recipe Formulation
- Nicholas Cain (Ballast Point Brewing, Kairoa Brewing)—Instructor, Finishing Practices
- Justinian Caire (Stone Brewing)—Instructor, Raw Materials
- Rick Chapman (Coronado Brewing)—Advisor
- Lee Chase (Automatic Brewing Co.)—Instructor, Raw Materials
- Anthony Chen (AleSmith Brewing)—Instructor, Barrel Aging
- Yuseff Cherney (Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits, Cutwater Spirits)—Lead Instructor & Advisor, Overview of Brewing Science & Technology, Technology of Brewing
- Todd Colburn (Stone Brewing)—Instructor & Advisor, Marketing & Distribution for Breweries
- Gwen Conley (The Lost Abbey, Cutwater Spirits)—Instructor, Sensory Evaluation & Beer Styles, Food Pairings & Beer Dinners
- Doug Constantiner (Societe Brewing)—Instructor & Advisor, Brewing Recipe Formulation
- Peter Cronin (AleSmith Brewing)—Instructor, Barrel Aging
- Dan Drown (Drown Consulting)—Instructor, Brewery Safety
- Christopher Hotz (Ballast Point Brewing, Societe Brewing)—Graduate & Instructor, Raw Materials & Malting, Finishing Practices
- Laura Lodge (Customized Craft Beer Programs)—Advisor
- Marty Mendiola (Second Chance Beer Co.)—Advisor
- Virginia Morrison (Second Chance Beer Co.)—Advisor
- Michael Peacock (TapCraft)—Instructor, Draught Beer Systems Operation & Maintenance
- Alex Pierson (Amplified Aleworks)—Instructor, Brewery Operations & Financial Management
- Patrick Rue (The Bruery)—Instructor, Barrel Aging
- Paul Segura (Karl Strauss Brewing)—Instructor, Brewery Operations & Financial Management
- Mitch Steele (Stone Brewing)—Instructor, Wort Production & Recipe Formulation
- Chritopher White (White Labs)—Instructor & Advisor, Yeast & Fermentation Processes